Alonso bigs up McLaren but lambasts Honda

On the third day of the second winter test of 2017, Ferrari have outpaced Formula One World Champions Mercedes again.

As part of four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel’s stunning 156 laps, the German set not only the fastest time of the winter to-date, but the fastest time the Circuit de Catalunya has seen for eight years.

It was also three tenths faster than Valtteri Bottas’ fastest time for Mercedes set on Wednesday and Lewis Hamilton’s fastest time set on Thursday.

In fact Vettel has now set the fastest times on both Pirelli’s ultrasoft and soft compounds.

But whilst last season Ferrari were rather found out after speaking up their chances of a challenge in 2016, they are keen to talk down their chances in 2017.

‘Mercedes are still very fast if you look at their long-run pace, They are the ones to beat. Historically, look at how slow they go in testing before ramping it up.’ Vettel told Sky Sports.

It was yet another day to forget for McLaren Honda however.

Despite Stoffel Vandoorne completing 48 laps, they completed them following two break downs.

McLaren’s best time of the winter a 1minute 21.348s set on Thursday is around two seconds slower than Ferrari, Mercedes and Williams, around a second slower than Red Bull Racing, Force India and Toro Rosso and half a second off Haas.

‘I don’t think we are too far back with the chassis, we have only one problem which is the power unit, There is no reliability and there is no power. We are 30kph down on the straight.’ former two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso told Sky Sports.

‘I’m driving at my best. I feel I am the best driver out there, I just need an engine that can run as quick as the others on the straight.’